Improvement in machines for extracting gold from auriferous deposits



E. S. BENNETT. Machine for Extraoting Gold from Aurifero'us Deposits No.221,905. Patented Nov. 25, 1879.

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ERASTUS s. BENNETT, on DENVER, COLORADO.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FOR EXTRACTING GOLD FROM AURIFEROUS DEPOSITS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 221,905, dated November25, 1879; application filed February 1, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERASTUS S. BENNETT, of the city of Denver, county ofArapahoe, and State of Colorado, have invented a new and useful Machinefor Washing the Dirt of Auriferous Deposits and Extracting the Goldtherefrom; and I do herebydeclare that the following is a full and exactdescription of the machine, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

Figure N o. 1 represents a side view of my machine. Fig. No. 2represents a section of the tank thereof, showing the position of thepipes and curved pipes. Fig. 3 shows the tank corrugated.

The chief objectsof the invention are to provide a machine which willsave fine as well as coarse gold, and will require less water than isrequired for the same purpose by the sluice, so that the aurit'erousearth, in places where sufflcient water for the sluice cannot be had,may be worked by the machine.

A represents a revolving cylindrical grate, which is partially submergedin the tank B. The'tank B is supplied with water through the pipes G Gand curved pipes E E, and has an overflow near the top, so that it iskept nearly full of water.

The water is forced,,by pump or other means, through the pipes andcurved pipes, and may overflow into tanks (not shown) provided for thepurpose, and from these tanks may be taken again and be forced throughas before, so that the water maybe used over and over.

The tank B may be of copper amalgamated, or may be of any othermaterial, and lined with amalgam plates, or may be of wood (for coarsegold) without amalgam plates or lining.

The amalgam plates may be plain or corrugated, as shown in Fig. No. 3.

The auriferous dirt is thrown into the revolving cylindrical grate A.The inside of this grate may be provided with flights, screws, scrolls,or any other device by which the dirt is pushed from the receiving tothe discharging end, and there lifted and thrown out as tailings, havingin its passage been Washed of its finer parts, which have passed throughthe openings into themain tank B. Here it falls through water to thebottom of the said tank and in contact with the amalgam plates. Most ofthe gold is caught at this first falling, but not all. The materialpiles up around the first curved pipes, and by them is thrown upward andforward toward the tailing end F. Each time that it'is thus thrown itfalls on a new portion of the surface of the lining or amalgam plates,and thence falls to the bottom, to be again thrown upward and forward.

When it arrives at the tailing end it passes through the openings toanother tank, called the tailing-tank, from which it is remover by anysuitable device.

The cylinder may be operated by any suitable power, so long as itreceives a steady ro tary motion.

The pump is not shown, and may be dispensed with where other force ishandy.

The tanks to receive and retain the overflow are not shown, and, wherewater is plentiful, may be dispensed with. r

The cylinder A may be supported in its position in any suitable manner,so long as it is partially submerged in the tank B, as shown, so that inrevolving the water has free ingress and egress.

What I claim as my own individual invention is 1. The curved pipes E Eand supply-pipes O O, in combination with a tank, B, having an inclinedor angular bottom, substantially as.

Witnesses:

LORIN A. STALEY, LEVIN 0. Cameras.

